


Darkest Memories

by holmes221b



Series: Darkest Memories [1]
Category: Doom (2005), Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Character Death, Crossover, F/M, Fusion, Language, M/M, Medical ickiness, Reaper!Bones, Spoilers, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-24
Updated: 2014-02-24
Packaged: 2018-01-13 16:04:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 11,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1232671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holmes221b/pseuds/holmes221b
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>McCoy is forced to face a certain dark part of his past and his feelings for Kirk—all at the same time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Return to Sender

_Chief Medical Officer’s Office, USS Enterprise_  
McCoy was not happy when he found out that Starfleet had decided to continue UAC’s research on C-24. Of course, there wasn’t much he could do about it at this point, now that the _Enterprise_ had been sent off to check on Olduvai II, which had gone silent.  
The doctor had a pretty good idea as to what had happened.  
“Bones, are you alright?” Kirk asked, concerned by his friend’s reaction (or non-reaction, which was probably a more accurate term).  
McCoy shook his head, in a vain attempt to get his dark thoughts out of his head.  
“Yeah, I’m fine, Jim,” the doctor lied. “Just thinkin’ ‘bout what all I’ll need to bring with me.”  
Kirk wasn’t fooled, but he didn’t call McCoy on it.  
“I was planning on having a small security team go down first, to secure the base,” Kirk informed him.  
“I want to go down with them, Jim,” McCoy insisted, surprising Kirk.  
“Are you sure, Bones?” the captain asked.  
“Dammit, Jim,” McCoy growled. “I’m a doctor, and there will likely be people down there that need my help.”  
"I know, Bones, but it will be dangerous,” Kirk warned.  
“So?” challenged the doctor. “That’s never stopped either one of us before!”  
“Bones, _I’m_ not even going down to the surface with the security team,” Kirk admitted.  
McCoy was pleased to hear that, but at the same time, the doctor knew how difficult it would be for Kirk to send down a security team into certain danger and not accompany them.  
 _Especially_ if McCoy accompanied the team.  
“Spock has finally convinced you to stay on board during an away mission?” McCoy asked aloud.  
Kirk shook his head.  
“Admiral Pike outright ordered me to stay on board, in front of the entire Bridge crew.”  
“And you’re worried that if I go down there, I won’t be coming back?” McCoy guessed.  
Reluctantly, Kirk nodded.  
“Jim, you have my word, I _will_ return in one piece,” McCoy promised.  
“Bones, don’t make a promise you can’t keep,” begged Kirk.  
“Don’t worry, Jim,” McCoy confidently replied. “This is a promise I know I can keep.”

~*~

_Transporter Room, Olduvai II_  
“Jones, Grant, take point,” directed Lieutenant Ryans, the security officer in charge of the security team. “Matthews, Smith, cover our backs.”  
“Aye, sir!” acknowledged all four security officers before taking their positions to the front and rear of the group.

~*~

_Bridge, USS Enterprise_  
Everyone on the Bridge could feel Kirk’s poorly suppressed concerns for his friend.  
 **”Ugh! What is that _smell_!?”** one of the security officers exclaimed.  
 **”That would be rotting flesh, Lieutenant Grant,”** McCoy coolly replied.  
 **"Rotting flesh?”** inquired Lieutenant Grant, not quite believing the Chief Medical Officer. **"Like a dead body?”**  
 **"Yes, Grant,”** replied Lieutenant Ryans. **"I think it’s _EXACTLY_ like that.”**  
The sound of several people throwing up followed that statement.  
“Lieutenant? Bones?” called Kirk, concerned.  
 **”We’re fine, Jim,”** McCoy answered. **”Lieutenant Ryans just found what’s left of one of the scientists.”**  
“Can you tell what he died of, Bones?” Kirk asked.  
 **"Something has been snacking on him, but from what I can tell, it looks like a mountain lion got him,”** McCoy replied.  
 **”What was that!?”** shouted Matthews suddenly.  
Kirk wasn’t sure, but it sounded like McCoy swore under his breath.  
 **”Jim, I don’t think we’re alone anymore,”** observed the doctor, as Lieutenant Ryans directed Jones and Grant to investigate whatever Matthews had seen (or heard, Kirk wasn’t sure).

~*~

_Corridor outside Lab 14, Olduvai II_  
McCoy wanted to go back to the _Enterprise_ , but Lieutenant Ryans insisted on investigating the sound Matthews had heard.  
“It could be a survivor in need of medical assistance, Doctor,” the Lieutenant had observed.  
Personally, McCoy didn’t want to meet up with _any_ surviving members, especially as his “Reaper sense” (his twin sister had come up with the name) was screaming _DANGER! THREAT! GET OUT NOW!_ at him.  
 **”Sir, we’ve got a live one!”** called Jones. **”We’re bringing her back with us.”**  
As the two security officers returned, McCoy took a deep breath through his nose. Mingled with the familiar scents of Jones and Grant was something new, something not quite right.  
“We need to get out of this place!” the woman exclaimed.  
McCoy agreed with her, but he didn’t want to bring anyone who smelled “off” on board the _Enterprise_. But then, nobody _ever_ listened to him. 


	2. Doctor Sylar

_Main Conference Room, USS Enterprise_  
“My name is Maia Sylar,” the woman informed the people assembled at the table—Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Lieutenant Ryans. “I was the Chief Medical Officer at Olduvai II.”  
“Doctor Sylar, can you tell us what happened?” Spock inquired.  
“Only some of what happened, Commander,” Maia replied. “I was unconscious for parts of what happened.”  
“That’s alright, Doctor,” Kirk said. “Just tell us what you know.”  
Maia nodded in acknowledgement.  
“It all began about three days ago,” she said. “Something happened, I’m not sure what exactly, but it caused a biohazard alarm to sound. What ever the biohazard was, I was exposed to it.”  
 _C-24,_ McCoy mentally supplied. _You were exposed to C-24, Doctor Sylar._  
“Bones, have you run any scans on Doctor Sylar?” Kirk asked, turning to face his friend.  
“Not yet,” McCoy admitted. “At least, nothing beyond the scan I ran on her on Olduvai II.”  
Lieutenant Ryans gave McCoy an odd look. He didn’t remember the doctor running any scans on Maia on Olduvai II.  
“Any chance you could identify the biohazard Doctor Sylar was exposed to from that scan, Bones?”  
“The scan didn’t indicate anything out of the ordinary,” McCoy lied.  
“Perhaps a more in-depth scan is in order, Doctor?” Spock asked.  
McCoy scowled at the half-Vulcan, but held his tongue for once.  
“Whatever I was exposed to, I wasn’t the only one exposed,” Maia volunteered.  
“Who else was exposed?” Kirk asked.  
“The Chief Security Officer, Gabriel Sylar, and three others,” Maia replied.  
“Gabriel Sylar?” echo’d Kirk.  
“Yes,” the doctor replied. “He is my husband.”  
“Is?” McCoy asked.  
“He was still alive, the last I saw him,” Maia replied. “But I fear the biohazard has changed him.”  
“Changed him?” Kirk asked.  
“He has become mentally unstable and excessively violent since being exposed to the biohazard,” Maia explained.  
McCoy thought of Sarge and had to suppress a shiver of fear at the thought of having to deal with another monster like him. Kirk sensed his friend’s distress, however.  
“Bones, are you alright?” he asked.  
“I’m fine, Jim,” snapped the doctor. “And in case you haven’t noticed, we’ve got history repeating itself all over again.”  
That outburst earned him a raised eyebrow from Spock.  
“History repeating itself, Doctor?” he asked. “Are you saying that the events that led to the abandonment of the original Olduvai base are happening again on Olduvai II?”  
 _Shit,_ McCoy mentally swore. He’d gone and slipped up alright, big time.  
“Well it does certainly look like it, doesn’t it?” he inquired, recovering quickly.  
“We don’t know why the original base was abandoned by UAC, Doctor,” Maia observed. “From what historians have been able to discover, something happened that resulted in the deaths of everyone who worked at Olduvai, as well as a base in Nevada that served as mission control for the Olduvai Research Base and the Marine special ops team that had been called in to deal with the problem.”  
“There were survivors,” McCoy remarked. “Two, if I remember what I learned in history class correctly.”  
Maia nodded.  
“That is true,” she agreed. “Doctor Samantha Grimm and her twin brother, John.”  
“While the history lesson is interesting, we need to focus on the present,” interjected Kirk.


	3. Body Odor and the Truth

_Sickbay, USS Enterprise_  
“You smell different from everyone else, Doctor McCoy,” Maia remarked as the doctor began to scan her.  
“What do you mean?” he asked, even though he knew exactly what she meant.  
“Ever since I was exposed to that biohazard, all of my senses have been amplified,” Maia explained.  
“Interesting,” McCoy stated.  
“It’s hard to put into words what you smell like, Doctor,” Maia stated thoughtfully.  
“I’m a doctor, not a soldier,” McCoy remarked.  
Maia shook her head.  
“No, you’re neither one,” she disagreed. McCoy suspected she wasn’t really paying attention to what she was saying, though.  
McCoy scowled at the results of his in-depth scan of Maia.  
“What is it, Doctor?” Maia asked.  
“Nothing,” lied McCoy. “I need to take a blood sample. I’ll be right back.”

~*~

_Bridge, USS Enterprise_  
“Captain?” called Lieutenant Uhura.  
“Yes, Lieutenant?” Kirk responded.  
“Starfleet Command wishes to speak with you, sir,” the dark-skinned woman replied. “It’s Admiral Pike.”  
“On-screen, Lieutenant,” Kirk ordered.  
Uhura inputted a command into her station, and the main viewscreen came to life, replacing the forward view with Admiral Christopher Pike’s grim face.  
”Captain Kirk,” the admiral stated in greeting.  
“Admiral Pike,” Kirk replied. He hadn’t quite forgiven his former mentor for ordering him to remain on board in front of his bridge crew. He also didn’t appreciate the admiral checking in on him every couple of hours, either.  
 **”I must admit, I am surprised that your Chief Medical Officer has yet to send me an angry comm, Captain,”** Pike remarked.  
Kirk frowned.  
“Why would Bones send you an angry comm, sir?” he asked.  
Pike sighed.  
 **”That would explain why,”** he muttered to himself, before looking down at the PADD lying on his desk in front of him.  
“Admiral?” prompted Kirk.  
 **”I am not sure whether it is my place to tell you this, Kirk,”** Pike explained. **”Any chance you could summon Doctor McCoy to the Bridge?”**  
“He’s in the process of examining a Doctor Maia Sylar, sir,” Kirk replied, before turning to Uhura. “Lieutenant, contact Doctor McCoy and see if he is available.”  
“Aye, sir,” Uhura acknowledged her captain’s command.

~*~

_Sickbay, USS Enterprise_  
Maia eyed the old-fashioned hypodermic needle with distaste.  
“Can’t you just take a blood sample with a hypospray, Doctor McCoy?” she inquired.  
McCoy shook his head.  
“Can’t see what I’m looking for if I used a hypospray,” he explained.  
Maia frowned at that.  
“What could you possibly expect to see, Doctor McCoy? What ever mutagenic effect the biohazard had on me, it isn’t visible to the naked eye,” objected Maia.  
She was saved by the chirp of the comm nearby. McCoy sighed before responding.  
“McCoy here.”  
 **”Doctor, the captain requires your presence on the Bridge,”** Lieutenant Uhura informed him.  
“Has the idiot gone and fallen out of his seat or something, Uhura?” inquired the doctor.  
 **”It’s not a medical emergency, Doctor,”** Uhura explained.  
McCoy sensed that there was something the Comms officer wasn’t saying, and that made him uneasy.  
“I’ll be right up, Lieutenant,” he declared. Turning to his colleague still sitting on the biobed, the doctor informed her that he would be back to take the blood sample later.

~*~

_Main Conference Room, USS Enterprise_  
After McCoy had arrived on the Bridge, Pike suggested that the conversation be held in a less public place, so Kirk had Uhura reroute the comm to the main conference room.  
Only Kirk, Spock, and McCoy went into the room, with Sulu left in command.  
“So, why am I here?” McCoy asked the room at large.  
 **"Because of what was being studied on Olduvai II, Doctor McCoy,”** Admiral Pike answered.  
McCoy scowled.  
“Yeah, about that,” he growled.  
 **”You need to tell them the truth, Doctor,”** Pike informed the doctor. **”I know how you feel about people knowing your real identity, but I feel that you are endangering your crewmates by remaining silent now.”**  
“Bones?” Kirk asked. “What is Pike talking about?”  
McCoy sighed.  
“Leonard Horatio McCoy isn’t my real name,” the doctor replied.  
“What is your real name then, Doctor?” Spock queried.  
“John Grimm.”  
Spock raised an eyebrow, recognizing the name. Kirk, who had spent his history classes at the Academy flirting with a green-skinned Orion by the name of Gaila, did not recognize the name.  
“I was born on Mars more than 200 years ago,” McCoy continued. “Six minutes after my twin sister, Sam.”  
“Samantha Grimm was your twin sister, Bones?” Kirk asked.  
McCoy nodded.  
“So where is she?” Kirk wondered.  
“Jim, Sam died a long time ago,” McCoy rebuked him, “of old age.”  
“But she’s your twin sister!” objected Kirk. “Surely she got the same genes you did!”  
“I wasn’t born this way, Jim,” McCoy informed him. “I was just as human as you are once, a heck of a long time ago.”  
“But—“ began Kirk.  
 **”Captain Kirk, let the poor man tell his story,”** Pike rebuked him.  
“Thank you, Chris,” McCoy said as Kirk scowled at both men.  
 **”No problem, John,”** Pike replied. **”Comm me when you’re done. Pike out.”**  
“Now Spock probably has already heard of UAC and Olduvai, but you probably don’t know what really happened,” McCoy continued.  
“Was there a conspiracy to hide the truth, Bones?” Kirk inquired.  
McCoy shook his head.  
“There wasn’t—not that they needed to cover it up,” he grimly replied.  
Spock cocked an eyebrow.  
“Many people died the day Olduvai was abandoned by UAC, Doctor,” the half-Vulcan objected.  
“I know, I should have been counted among the dead, if it weren’t for my sister injecting me with C-24, trusting that it wouldn’t change me,” growled McCoy.  
“C-24?” asked Kirk.  
“C-24 is short for Chromosome 24,” McCoy explained.  
“Humans have only 23 chromosomes, Doctor,” Spock observed.  
“As did the ancient Martians, at least until they discovered that they could create a synthetic 24th chromosome,” McCoy observed. “That was what UAC was researching on Mars, in addition to experimental weapons and Martian history.”  
“What does C-24 do, exactly, Bones?” Kirk asked.  
“Makes a person superfast, super smart, and super resilient,” McCoy replied, “in short, the perfect soldier. But if you have the gene for violence, it turns you into a blood-thirsty monster.”  
“Like Gabriel Sylar,” observed Spock.  
McCoy nodded.  
“So, what did you used to be, before your sister injected you with C-24, Bones?” Kirk wondered aloud. “A scientist?”  
“I was a marine, Jim,” McCoy replied.  
“But you barely passed hand-to-hand combat,” Kirk objected. “I had to tutor you in firing a phaser without hitting yourself.”  
“I didn’t want to attract attention to myself, Jim,” McCoy replied. “But the issues I had with phasers, that was mostly genuine.”  
Kirk was still having a hard time picturing his friend as a marine. McCoy decided to take pity on the young man.  
“Computer, access the personal files of McCoy, Leonard Horiato.”  
 **”Access code required,”** the computer announced.  
“Access code R-E-A-P-E-R-DASH-S-A-M-A-N-T-H-A-FOUR-TWO,” McCoy replied, his Southern drawl completely absent.  
 **”Access code accepted,”** declared the computer.  
“Computer, display photo RRTS Six Final Christmas.”  
 **”Working,”** said the computer before the requested image appeared on the viewscreen.  
“Computer, identify the people in this picture,” the doctor directed.  
 **”Working,”** replied the computer, before the picture zoomed in on a smiling face. **”Corporal Dean Portman, handle ID: Portman.”**  
His face was replaced with two others.  
 **”Private First Class Katsuhiko Kumanosuke Takaashi, handle ID: Mac; Corporal Eric Fantom, handle ID: Goat.”**  
Their faces were replaced by the grinning faces of two dark-skinned men.  
 **”Sergeant Gregory Schofield, handle ID: Duke; Sergeant Gannon Roark, handle ID: Destroyer.”**  
Their faces were replaced with the gruff grin of another man.  
 **”Gunnery Sergeant Asher Mahonin, handle ID: Sarge.”**  
His face was replaced with a more familiar smirk.  
 **”Staff Sergeant John Grimm, handle ID: Reaper.”**  
“Computer, display photo Kid Navy Command and identify subject of photo,” McCoy directed.  
 **”Working.”**  
The image of John Grimm’s face was replaced with a profile photo of a Navy sailor who looked to be only a few years older than Chekov.  
 **”Private Mark Dantalian, handle ID: The Kid.”**  
“It was his first mission,” McCoy glumly remarked. “Sarge shot him in the neck for refusing to kill a room full of uninfected people.”  
“He looks to be about Chekov’s age,” Kirk observed.  
“Actually, he was your age when he died,” McCoy replied. “But that doesn’t change the fact that he was all too young to have died, and his was all too senseless a death.”  
“I grieve with thee,” murmured Spock.  
“I’ve had 200 plus years to get over his death, Spock, but thanks,” McCoy replied, and he was truly grateful for Spock’s words of solidarity.  
“So what’d you do after Olduvai, Bones?” Kirk asked.  
“Protect my sister and keep out of sight,” McCoy replied.  
“I would imagine UAC would have been interested in studying you, Doctor,” Spock mused.  
McCoy nodded.  
“They certainly did,” he agreed. “And they didn’t care who died in the process, either.”  
“If C-24 is so dangerous, why didn’t you say something when Starfleet started researching it?” Kirk wondered suddenly.  
“I didn’t know about it until you told me about Olduvai II, Jim,” McCoy answered. “I didn’t even know that any of UAC’s research on it had survived all these years outside of my private files.”  
“The transport of the scientists at Olduvai II was the _Kelvin_ ’s last mission before its destruction by the _Narada_ ,” Kirk remarked.  
“I guess I should be happy to note that at least Starfleet is much more ethical than UAC,” muttered the doctor. “At least this incident wasn’t entirely the fault of mad scientists.”  
“Doctor?” Spock queried.  
“They were testing it on a human subject, some mass murderer named Stahl,” McCoy clarified.  
“Let me guess, he had the gene for violence,” guessed Kirk.  
McCoy nodded.  
“He got loose and began killing the scientists,” McCoy replied, “though he did infect a couple of them, the ones who must have also had the genes for violence.”  
McCoy paused, the memory of how Goat had been infected in the sewers coming to mind.  
“Bones?” Kirk asked, worried.  
“I’m fine, Jim,” the doctor quickly replied. “Just thinking about how Goat got infected.”  
“Tell us what happened, Doctor,” encouraged Spock.  
McCoy bit back a bitter retort along the lines of ‘I didn’t know you cared, Spock’, choosing to instead share his memories of Goat.  
“We’d chased one of the mutated scientists down into the sewers,” he began, but Kirk interrupted.  
“Sewers? Olduvai had sewers?” he interjected.  
McCoy scowled.  
“What else would you do with waste water, Jim?” he demanded. “They didn’t have all the fancy stuff we have nowadays.”  
“But really, Bones, that’s like something out of a horror movie,” Kirk insisted. “Next you’re going to tell me that Goat was on his own.”  
McCoy scowled again.  
“We needed to locate him as quickly as possible, and splitting up was the best way of doing it. But Goat’s flashlight failed, and the scientist took advantage of that to attack him,” he replied, continuing his grim tale. “I killed the scientist, but not before it had bitten Goat in the neck.”  
McCoy paused, waiting for any comments from his friends (would they still want to be friends with him after all this?), but seeing that they weren’t going to say anything, he resumed speaking. “We rushed him to what you could call their sickbay, but there was nothing I—we—could do to revive him. I broke a toe kicking the equipment in my frustration at losing him.”  
“It wasn’t your fault, Bones,” Kirk observed. “I’m sure you did everything you could.”  
“When he came back to life, in the morgue, he knew what was happening to him. My sister told me what Goat did,” McCoy continued, ignoring Kirk. “She told me how he bashed his head in against the glass wall of the morgue in order to kill himself, to save the rest of us.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit, March 10/2016: changed section of dialogue to remove unintentionally ableist comment


	4. Gabriel Speaks

_Armory, Olduvai II_  
Gabriel barged through the door, too impatient to wait for it to open on its own. First he unpacked the stun grenades and placed them all in a bag slung across his broad chest. Next he permanently disabled all of the phasers and all but two of the phaser rifles. He slung the two still-working rifles over his shoulders, one in each hand, both armed and ready to kill.  
Satisfied with his handiwork, Gabriel left the armory, ready to face off against the fools who had taken his mate. They wouldn’t know what hit them until it was too late to stop him.

~*~

_Main Conference Room, USS Enterprise_  
After McCoy had finished recounting what had happened all those years ago, Kirk asked the question he had wanted to ask since Admiral Pike called McCoy by his first name.  
“Hey, Bones, why did Pike call you ‘John’? I didn’t know you were on first name terms with him,” the captain inquired.  
“Pike figured out who I was a week after I joined Starfleet,” McCoy replied. “In exchange for his silence, I kept an eye on you.”  
“So you didn’t choose to become my friend?” Kirk wondered.  
“No, you idiot! That just happened, without my permission,” snapped McCoy. “Pike was going to ask me to tend to any injuries you sustained as a result of your stupidity anyways, since I was your roommate, his blackmailing me was just icing on the cake for him.”  
“I can not see Admiral Pike bribing you in this manner, Doctor,” Spock objected.  
“You’d be surprised what humans are capable of when they care about someone,” McCoy retorted.  
“Like inject someone with a potentially fatal substance to save their life?” Kirk observed.

~*~

_Communications Room, Olduvai II_  
Gabriel gazed thoughtfully at the communication station in front of him.  
Should he try to raise the vessel he knew was in orbit far above him? Was his mate even onboard?  
He shrugged. Only one way to find out, he knew.  
His decision made, the former Chief of Security for Olduvai II pressed a series of buttons.  
“Federation vessel, this is Gabriel Sylar.”

~*~

_Bridge, USS Enterprise_  
Uhura gasped, drawing the attention of everyone on the Bridge to her.  
“Uhura, what is it?” Sulu inquired.  
“We’re being hailed,” Uhura replied.  
“Who would be hailing us?” Chekov wondered.  
“Someone named Gabriel Sylar,” Uhura replied. “The signal is coming from Olduvai II.”

~*~

_Main Conference Room, USS Enterprise_  
They were interrupted by the chirp of the comm station.  
“Kirk here.”  
 **”Captain, we’re being hailed,”** Sulu reported.  
Spock cocked an eyebrow.  
“Who?” Kirk asked.  
 **”Someone identifying himself as ‘Gabriel Sylar’, sir,”** Sulu replied. **”Uhura says the signal is coming from Olduvai II.”**

~*~

_Bridge, USS Enterprise_  
As soon as he had taken his place in the captain’s chair, Kirk turned to Uhura and ordered, “Onscreen, Lieutenant.”  
“Aye, sir,” acknowledged Uhura, and the face of Gabriel Sylar appeared on the main view screen.  
“Gabriel Sylar?” Kirk asked.  
 **”That is my name,”** the man acknowledged. **”And you are?”**  
“James T. Kirk, captain of the USS _Enterprise_ ,” Kirk introduced himself.  
 **”Request permission to come aboard, sir,”** Gabriel requested.  
A low growl from behind him informed Kirk of his friend’s opinion of that idea.  
“I will have to confer with my Chief Medical Officer first, Mr. Sylar,” Kirk replied, gesturing to Uhura to cut the signal.  
 **”But, sir, I can’t—“** Gabriel began to say, but the rest of what he was saying was cut off as Lieutenant Uhura cut the signal.  
Kirk turned to face the doctor.  
“Well, Bones, what do you think we should do?” he asked. “According to Doctor Sylar, her husband had mutated into a monster.”  
“Physically, he’s still human,” McCoy replied. “But mentally, he’s a killer.”  
“There is no scientific basis for what you are saying, Doctor,” Spock observed.  
McCoy scowled at the half-Vulcan.  
“Are you challenging my authority on this matter, Mr. Spock?” growled Reaper, all pretense gone.  
“Not at all, Doctor,” replied Spock, seemingly unaware of the former marine’s sudden hostility towards him. “I was only pointing out the lack of scientific evidence to support your claim.”  
“Gentlemen, can we focus on the matter at hand?” requested Kirk, spotting the doctor’s sudden tenseness—he didn’t want to have to deal with the chaos that would result from the doctor physically assaulting Spock.  
“You bring Gabriel on board, and he will turn everyone he can, and kill those he can’t,” McCoy warned, temporarily back in control of himself. “Nothing we have on board will contain him—at least, as long as he remains alive.”  
“But nothing can get past the force fields surrounding the Brig once they are actiwated, Doktor,” Chekov objected from his station.  
McCoy shook his head.  
“They aren’t strong enough,” he said aloud.  
“How can you be so sure, Bones?” Kirk asked.  
“I tried them out on myself,” the doctor admitted.  
“Why would you do that!?” demanded Kirk.  
“Because I was worried that something might force me to mutate into a monster.”  
“We must have a reason to give Gabriel explaining why we are refusing to allow him on board, Captain,” Spock remarked.  
“Why can’t we just tell him we’ve called his bluff?” McCoy wondered.  
“He might use the base’s shuttle to board the _Enterprise, Doctor_ ,” the half-Vulcan observed.  
“Beam me down there,” a voice suddenly called out.  
Everyone on the Bridge turned towards the lift, where Maia Sylar stood.  
“He’ll rip you to shreds, Doctor Sylar,” Kirk objected.  
“That’s my husband, Captain,” Maia reminded him. “He will not hurt me, no matter how far he’s gone.”  
“He might still kill you, Doctor,” McCoy observed. “He could see you as a threat.”  
“What would you know of the compounds we have been testing here at Olduvai II, Doctor McCoy?” challenged Maia. “None at all, I’m sure.”  
Reaper lunged at her, too fast for anyone to hold him back. He pinned her to the wall, overpowering her only by the fact that he was inherently stronger than her, regardless of any enhancements made by exposure to C-24.*  
“Now you listen here, Doctor Sylar,” Reaper growled. “You weren’t just playing around with deadly diseases like xenopolycythemia, you were also messing around with genetic engineering.”  
Maia scowled at him.  
“We weren’t messing around with genetic engineering, Doctor McCoy,” she insisted. “We were only working on figuring out what UAC was researching so fervently just before the start of World War III.”  
“Chromosome 24, Doctor, that’s what UAC was researching,” Reaper informed her. “That’s all you want to know about the subject.”  
“C-24? But I thought that was only a myth, created as propaganda during the post-Eugenics War era,” Maia objected.  
“Believe me, it’s no myth,” Reaper growled.  
Suddenly there was urgent beeping coming from Spock’s and Chekov’s stations.  
“Keptin, we are being targeted,” Chekov reported.  
“Targeted? By what?” Kirk asked.  
“By Olduvai II, sir,” Spock reported.  
“What fucking person thought it was a good idea to arm a _research_ base and then not say anything about that fact before now!?” demanded Reaper.  
“We only just got them last week, Doctor McCoy,” Maia informed him. “I didn’t even know they were operational yet.”  
“Shields up,” Kirk ordered. “We don’t want to be taken out.”  
“We should take out that base before Gabriel blows us out of the sky, Jim,” Reaper advised the captain.  
“You can’t use weapons to destroy the base,” objected Maia. “Part of it is underground, protected from aerial bombardment.”  
“Someone will have to go down there and activate the self-destruct then,” Kirk remarked.  
“I’ll go,” Reaper was quick to volunteer.  
“I’m coming with you, Doctor McCoy,” Maia insisted. “You’ll need me to activate the self-destruct.”  
Reaper scowled.  
“Fine, but no one else is beaming down there with us,” he declared.  
“Are you sure you can handle it on your own, Bones?” Kirk asked.  
“Completely, Jim,” Reaper answered. “I just need to go get a few things out of my room first. Doctor Sylar, I’ll meet you in the transporter room in about ten minutes.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Before you go screaming at me for bein' sexist with this line, let me clarify that this comment is actually based on physics and simple logic. Maia Sylar is smaller and shorter than McCoy, and she trained primarily as a scientist and has very little training beyond basic self defense taught at the Academy. McCoy on the other hand, has had years of training beyond the basic self defense he was required to take at the Academy. Maia only exercised to keep in shape, McCoy exercises daily to not only keep in shape but to also let his Reaper-side out without causing problems.
> 
> Edit, March 10/2016: Dialogue editted.


	5. Time to Act (and React)

_Transporter Room, USS Enterprise_  
Lieutenant Riley was on duty in the transporter room when Doctor Sylar entered.  
“Has Doctor McCoy arrived yet?” she asked the Lieutenant.  
Riley shook his head.  
“Not yet, ma’am,” he replied, just before Reaper entered the room, dressed all in black, armed to the teeth with “old-fashioned” projectile weapons.  
Lieutenant Riley and Maia both stared at him, but the ex-marine ignored their odd looks.  
“Uhura, can you read me?” Reaper asked.  
A pause, in which Uhura presumably replied to his question, then the doctor aimed his huge gun at Lieutenant Riley.  
“Are you receiving visual?” Reaper asked, as Riley gulped, freaked out by the gun currently pointed at him, not noticing that the safety was still engaged.  
After another pause, in which presumably his second question was also satisfactorily answered, Reaper lowered his gun.  
“Well, let’s get this over with,” he gruffly remarked, stepping onto the transporter pad, Maia close behind him.  
 **”Shields down in three…two…one…Now!”** Kirk counted down over the comm from his chair on the Bridge.  
As soon as the shields went down, Riley activated the transporter, dematerializing the two people on the transporter pad, to rematerialize seconds later on the transporter pad inside Olduvai II, far below the Enterprise.

~*~

_Bridge, USS Enterprise_  
Chekov wasn’t able to bring the shields back up in time before the _Enterprise_ was struck.  
“Damage report!” Kirk ordered, as soon as the ship stopped rocking violently from the force of the blast.  
“Direct hit to the starboard nacelle,” Spock reported.  
“Fires are burning on all decks,” added Uhura.  
“Chekov, how are our shields?” Kirk asked.  
“I wasn’t able to bring them online fast enough, Keptin,” the young Russian informed Kirk mournfully.  
Kirk suspected that Chekov was blaming himself for what had just happened.  
“That’s alright, Ensign,” Kirk replied. “I’m confident that it isn’t your fault that that attack got through.”  
Chekov nodded, though Kirk was doubtful his words had gotten to the Russian just yet.  
“Shields are at ninety-six percent and holding,” the Russian reported.  
“Weapons?” Kirk asked.  
“We have them, sair,” Chekov reported.  
“Excellent,” declared Kirk.  
“Captain!” Uhura called.  
“Yes, Lieutenant?” Kirk asked, turning to face her.  
“Mr. Scott reports that the starboard nacelle is badly damaged,” the dark-skinned woman replied. 


	6. Old Enemy

_Transporter Room, Olduvai II_  
Unaware of the drama unfolding above their heads, Maia and Reaper set out for the “bridge” of the research base, with Reaper taking point.  
The place was rank with the smell of blood, rotting flesh, and evil. Reaper found it difficult to identify any individual scents, the overall odor of the place was that powerful.  
CLANG!  
Reaper and Maia both instinctively froze at the sound.  
“What was that?” whispered Maia.  
Reaper shook his head, gesturing at the doctor to keep quiet.  
CLANG!  
Focusing on his hearing, Reaper could hear Maia’s heart beating in her chest behind him, her breathing incredibly loud to his keen ears. Blocking out the sounds of Maia’s heart, lungs, and the blood rushing thru her veins, Reaper listened for the source of the clangs.  
CLANG!  
Something was coming towards them, something large.  
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!  
Whatever it was, it had caught their scents.  
“Stay behind me, Doctor,” ordered Reaper, aiming his gun at the dark silhouette his enhanced eye sight could see.  
With a roar, the mutated monster lunged at Reaper, who coolly opened fire. Half a clip later, the creature was dead.  
As a precaution, Reaper shot the creature two more times—once in the head and once in the heart.  
“Help!” called a voice.  
“Kat!” exclaimed Maia, recognizing the voice, as she dashed forward to aid her colleague.  
“Doctor Sylar, wait!” Reaper called as the doctor rushed past him, but he was ignored. He swore and raced after her.  
He found Maia kneeling beside a badly injured Asian man.  
“Doctor McCoy, I would like to introduce you to my head nurse, Katsuhiko Hosokawa,” Maia informed Reaper.  
“The Chief Medical Officer of the _Enterprise_?” Kat rasped. “ _That_ Doctor McCoy?”  
“Yep,” Maia happily informed him.  
Reaper remembered Katsuhiko. The man had nearly killed Kirk once by giving the blonde a medicine he wasn’t supposed to get, due to the likelihood of the medicine triggering an allergic reaction. McCoy had reported the cadet nurse for endangering his roommate’s life, but nothing had come of his report, mainly because the doctor couldn’t explain how he knew what it said on Kirk’s medical file (he wasn’t officially Kirk’s doctor at the time, and he hadn’t wanted to get Kirk himself in trouble for hacking Starfleet Medical simply so that McCoy could read his medical file).  
“Nice to see you again, Nurse Hosokawa,” Reaper remarked.  
“If I had known that the way to get the posting of head nurse on the _Enterprise_ was by fucking you, Doctor McCoy, I would have put aside my hatred of you and fucked you until you forgot why you hated me,” growled Kat.  
Maia’s eyes went wide, shocked by the words of her head nurse.  
“Christine Chapel earned her way onboard the _Enterprise_ , just like everyone else—and that didn’t involve _any_ sexual favors,” growled Reaper, suddenly spotting all too familiar marks on the side of the nurse’s neck.  
Katsuhiko Hosokawa had been infected. And it was only a matter of time before he would begin mutating.  
Reaper swung his gun into position, aiming it at the head nurse.  
“This isn’t personal, Hosokawa,” Reaper informed Kat, “but you’ve been infected, and I don’t think the universe could handle you getting any uglier.”  
Then he shot him twice—once each in the head and in the heart.  
“What the hell!?” demanded Maia, furious at the ex-marine for murdering her colleague in cold blood. “He wasn’t a threat!”  
“He was bitten, Doctor Sylar,” Reaper explained.  
“I thought you were a doctor!” yelled Maia.  
“I am a doctor,” Reaper replied.  
“You clearly haven’t heard of the Hippocratic Oath then,” growled Maia.  
“’First, do no harm’,” Reaper replied. “I know the Hippocratic Oath, Doctor Sylar.”  
“You obviously don’t believe in it then,” insisted Maia. “Else you wouldn’t have shot Kat in cold blood like that, simply because of an old grudge.”  
“It had _nothing_ to do with what happened between us at the Academy, Doctor Sylar,” Reaper corrected her. “Your head nurse was bitten by that monster that attacked us just minutes ago.”  
“How could you have been certain that Kat was going to turn too?”  
“For starters, his scent,” Reaper replied. “Couldn’t you smell how ‘off’ his scent was?”  
Maia shook her head.  
Reaper sighed.  
“Remember how you commented that I smelled differently from everyone else?” he asked.  
Maia nodded.  
“How did my scent make you feel?” Reaper asked.  
“Safe,” Maia replied without hesitation.  
Reaper nodded.  
“Nurse Hosokawa’s scent always made me think of danger, that he was a threat,” he informed her. “The C-24 only amplified the evil in his heart.”  
“And that’s why you executed him?” Maia asked.  
Reaper nodded.  
“The effects of C-24 can not be reversed, Doctor Sylar,” he informed her. “And I should know, I have been trying for more than 200 years.”  
“You look awfully good for your age, Doctor McCoy,” a voice observed from the shadows nearby.  
Reaper whirled around to face the speaker, bringing his weapon to bear as he moved.  
“Identify yourself,” Reaper ordered, cocking his gun as he spoke.  
“Solvak?” Maia asked. “Is that really you?”  
“Maia, it is good to see that you are well,” Solvak replied.  
“You two know each other?” Reaper asked.  
“Doctor Solvak is one of the scientists involved in the C-24 research, Doctor McCoy,” Maia informed Reaper.  
“You are awfully emotional for a Vulcan, Doctor Solvak,” Reaper observed.  
“That is because I choose to accept my emotions, unlike many Vulcans, who suppress their emotions instead,” Solvak replied.  
Maia snorted.  
“What?” Solvak asked her.  
“I know you Vulcans like to keep your medical secrets, but to claim that a genetic disorder was a choice you made is _not_ logical, Solvak,” Maia explained.  
Solvak grinned.  
“Thank you for reminding me, Maia,” Solvak remarked. “Whatever would I do without you?”


	7. Warning

_Bridge, USS Enterprise_  
 **"McCoy to Enterprise.”**  
“Go ahead, Doctor McCoy,” Uhura replied.  
 **"Uhura, I need to speak with Spock,”** the doctor replied.  
Uhura turned to the half-Vulcan.  
“Mr. Spock, Doctor McCoy wishes to speak with you,” she informed him, holding out her earpiece to him.  
The First Officer strode over to her and took the earpiece.  
“Spock here.”  
 **"Okay, what do you know of a Doctor Solvak, Spock?”** Reaper asked.  
“I need more than his given name, Doctor,” the half-Vulcan remarked.  
 **"How about the fact he apparently has a genetic disorder that doesn’t allow him to suppress his emotions like most Vulcans?”** Reaper offered.  
If Spock were more human, he would have muttered a curse under his breath.  
“Doctor, be very careful around Doctor Solvak,” he cautioned. “He can be extremely dangerous if stressed out.”  
 **"I take it Solvak doesn’t do well under pressure?”** Reaper guessed. **"That’s just wonderful.”**  
“Are you alone, Doctor?” Spock asked.  
 **"Yeah, Doctors Sylar and Solvak are hacking into the computer to shut down the base’s defense systems at the moment,”** Reaper replied. **"Why?"**  
“Doctor Solvak would likely not appreciate my informing you of what I am about to tell you about him,” Spock explained.  
 **"This is just getting better and better,”** grumbled Reaper. **"What is it?”**  
“Doctor Solvak has a criminal history prior to his recruitment into Starfleet,” Spock replied. “He was charged with conducting unethical experiments on sentient beings, but the charges were dropped due to all of his surviving victims suddenly refusing to testify against him.”  
 **"Sounds fishy,”** mused Reaper.  
“I do not see how—“ Spock began, but the doctor interrupted him.  
 **"It’s a figure of speech, Spock,”** Reaper cut in, before adding, **"Thanks for the update on the ensign’s progress, Nurse Chapel. McCoy out.”**  
Spock cocked an eyebrow, wondering at why the doctor had just referred to him as ‘Nurse Chapel’, before he realized that he must have been no longer alone.  
Handing the earpiece back to a clearly worried Uhura, the half-Vulcan made to return to the captain’s chair, where he had been sitting before the doctor’s call, but Uhura stopped him with a hand on his arm.  
“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with the doctor, Spock,” Uhura admitted. “Will he be alright?”  
“I am sure the doctor can handle any threat Solvak may pose to him, Lieutenant,” Spock informed her.  
“But Solvak is a Vulcan,” Uhura objected, “and McCoy can barely defend himself without help.”  
“The captain has been working with the doctor to rectify that, Lieutenant,” Spock replied. “Besides, as a doctor, McCoy will be aware of the physical weaknesses of the Vulcan body.”  
Uhura nodded, her concerns somewhat soothed by the First Officer’s words.


	8. Bad Omens

_'Central Command’, Olduvai II_  
“Clear,” Reaper announced, before allowing Maia and Solvak into the room referred to as “Central Command”.  
The two doctors went right to work, hacking into the computer systems locked tight by Gabriel Sylar. Satisfied that everything was secure, Reaper stepped out of the room to call the _Enterprise_.  
Meanwhile, in Central Command, Maia was starting to question her own assumption that Gabriel Sylar was the one who had locked down the computers.  
“Solvak?” she called.  
“Yes, Maia?” the Vulcan responded.  
“This encryption is beyond Gabriel’s abilities,” she informed Solvak.  
“Indeed,” Solvak agreed. “We should inform Doctor McCoy, shouldn’t we?”  
Maia nodded.  
“Doctor McCoy!” she called out, as she strode over to the entrance where Reaper was standing guard.  
“Thanks for the update on the ensign’s progress, Nurse Chapel. McCoy out.”  
Reaper turned to Maia.  
“What is it?” he asked.  
“My husband wasn’t the one who locked down the computers, Doctor McCoy,” Maia informed him. “The encryption is too complex for it to have been his handiwork.”  
“He was exposed to C-24, Doctor Sylar,” Reaper objected. “His intelligence would have been enhanced by the extra chromosome.”  
Maia shook her head.  
“I just have this gut feeling that Gabriel didn’t lock down the computers,” she insisted.  
Reaper wanted to challenge Maia’s insistence, but McCoy agreed with her, so Reaper held his tongue.  
“What does Solvak say?” Reaper asked instead.  
“He agreed with me,” Maia replied.  
“Of course I agreed with Maia,” Solvak called. “Particularly since Gabriel died at my hands before I locked down the computers.”  
Maia gasped as she turned to face the Vulcan. Reaper just scowled at Solvak.  
 _He’s been infected!_ McCoy shouted at himself.  
 _How can you tell?_ Reaper challenged himself.  
 _Just trust me and get Doctor Sylar out of here!_ McCoy insisted. _Now!_  
Reaper didn’t need to be told twice. Maia yelped in surprised fright as Reaper roughly slung her over his shoulder and ran from the room.  
Solvak just laughed, knowing that there was no hope of escape for the two humans. He had total control of Olduvai II.


	9. Storm Clouds

_Captain’s Quarters, USS Enterprise_  
 **"McCoy to Kirk.”**  
Kirk frowned.  
“Kirk here.”  
 **"Jim, listen to me carefully and do _exactly_ what I tell you to do, nothing more,”** Reaper ordered. **"Do you understand?”**  
“Loud and clear, Bones,” Kirk replied.  
 **"First off, DO NOT send _ANYBODY_ down here,"** Reaper ordered. **"You got that?”**  
“Yeah,” Kirk replied, getting tired of being asked that.  
 **"Maintain a lookout for the weapons, Maia and I are going to deal with them first,”** Reaper continued. **"Next we will deal with Solvak—and Gabriel Sylar, if he’s still alive—, then activate the self-destruct.”**  
“You are not dying, Bones,” Kirk growled.  
 **"As soon as the self destruct is activated, we’ll beam up to the _Enterprise_ , Jim,”** Reaper assured Kirk.

~*~

_Bridge, USS Enterprise_  
About an hour after Reaper had contacted Kirk, a small explosion rocked Olduvai II, taking out the base’s ground-to-space phaser cannons.  
“Good job, Bones,” murmured Kirk from where he sat in his chair.  
“Sir, we’ve lost visual,” Uhura reported.  
“The blast must have damaged the camera on his gun,” Spock observed.  
 **"McCoy to _Enterprise_.”**  
“Kirk here.”  
 **"Sorry about losing the visual feed, I was closer to the blast than I expected,”** Reaper explained.  
 **"Gabriel rigged the phaser cannons to blow up, Captain,”** interjected Maia. **"He was trying to disable them when he was interrupted by someone.”**  
Kirk frowned. It sounded a lot to him as if Maia had been about to say something other than “someone”.

~*~

_Unidentified computer lab, Olduvai II_  
“Can you activate the self-destruct from here, Doctor Sylar?” Reaper asked.  
“I’ll have to hack my way into taking back control of the computer systems first, but yes, I can do it from here,” Maia replied.  
Reaper unholstered the phaser he’d taken with him on impulse and handed it to Maia.  
“Do you know how to use this?” Reaper asked.  
Maia nodded—Gabriel had insisted on making sure everyone on the base knew how to operate a phaser from the day he had arrived on the base.  
“Good,” he said. “While it probably won’t kill any of the mutations, it should slow them down enough for you to get away. Shoot them once in the head and then once in the heart.”  
“What about you?” Maia questioned.  
“I’m going to go deal with Solvak,” Reaper replied.  
“Good luck, Doctor McCoy,” Maia said to him.  
“Thanks,” Reaper replied. “I’ll certainly need it.”

~*~

_'Central Command', Olduvai II_  
Solvak was angry. The humans had destroyed the phaser cannons, leaving him open to attack from space.  
 **"McCoy to Solvak.”**  
The Vulcan growled. How dare that human taunt him thus! He would have to teach this Doctor McCoy how to treat his master.  
“What do you want, McCoy?” the Vulcan demanded, bringing up the base’s internal scanners. Solvak smiled when he saw how close the doctor was to him.  
 **"I want you to surrender peacefully to me, Solvak. That’s all I fucking want of you right now,”** Reaper informed him, seemingly unaware of the danger he was putting himself in with his challenging words.  
Solvak was blinded by rage, by the C-24 in his green blood, unable to realize that Reaper wasn’t the real threat, that the human was playing a dangerous game with his emotions in order to distract him from realizing the real threat in the form of Doctor Maia Sylar.  
Solvak raced out of the room, heading straight for the ex-marine. 


	10. The Doctor Speaks

_Corridor, Olduvai II_  
Knowing he had only seconds left before Solvak reached him, Reaper sent one last broadcast to the _Enterprise_ :  
“Jim, this is McCoy. I know I promised you that I would come back in one piece, but it looks like I’m probably going to be unable to keep that promise. I wish I could have found the courage to say this sooner, but I can’t change the past. I love you, Jim, and I’m sorry about the lies I’ve told you over the years. I hope you can forgive me.”  
Then he turned his comm off, not wanting Kirk to have to listen to his death.  
“McCoy!” bellowed Solvak, his voice echoing off the walls of the corridor.  
Reaper hoisted his gun and cocked it all in one single fluid motion. Unfortunately, Reaper was facing the wrong direction, and Solvak was on him before he could turn around.  
The Vulcan effortlessly knocked the gun out of Reaper’s hands. It went flying with enough force to become embedded so deeply into the wall of the corridor that it would have taken Reaper too long to free it, if Solvak had even given him the chance to retrieve his gun.

~*~

_Unidentified Computer Lab, Olduvai II_  
In his haste to broadcast his last words to Kirk, the doctor accidently comm’d Maia instead.  
“Not on my watch, Doctor McCoy,” she muttered as she worked even harder to break through Solvak’s encryption.  
 **”Access accepted,”** the computer finally chirped.  
“Computer, lock out all input except mine,” Maia ordered.  
 **”Authorization code required.”**  
“One-Two-Four-Five-B-E-T-T-Y-B-L-A-H,” Maia recited.  
 **”Authorization code accepted. All inputs except those by Sylar, Maia Lee will be rejected.”**  
That done, Maia turned her focus to activating the self-destruct.  
“Computer, activate self-destruct, authorization Alpha-Two-Delta Maia Lee Sylar,” she ordered.  
 **”Unable to comply.”**  
Maia frowned.  
“Clarify reason for being unable to comply,” she ordered.  
 **”Subroutines for countdown do not exist,”** the computer replied.  
Maia swore. She would have to either re-install the missing subroutines or else manually trigger the self destruct. The former would take longer than she wanted to spend—how much longer could Doctor McCoy keep fighting against Solvak?—and the latter would require her to commit suicide.  
“Computer, show me the current whereabouts of Doctor McCoy,” Maia commanded.  
 **”Working,”** the computer replied, before displaying the security feed for the corridor where McCoy was locked in combat with Solvak.  
It was painfully clear to Maia that McCoy wasn’t going to last that much longer against Solvak. Her mind decided, she left the security feed playing in the background as she started the self destruct manually.

~*~

_Corridor, Olduvai II_  
Reaper was getting tired of being thrown around like a rag doll by Solvak, but there was little he could do to stop it. Part of him wished that Solvak would just kill him already, but another part of him refused to accept the idea of death. So he kept on fighting back as best as he could.  
“I wonder what your mother would say, if she saw you now,” Reaper mused aloud, in a desperate bid to rile up the Vulcan. He didn’t expect his taunt to actually work, though, as Reaper wasn’t an idiot to presume that Solvak was anywhere nearly as attached to his mother as Spock was.  
Then he was flung into the ceiling—hard.  
Solvak looked up at the ex-marine, trapped in the wreckage of what had previously been the undamaged ceiling of the corridor.  
“Never talk about my mother, Doctor McCoy,” he growled threateningly.  
“Why?” Reaper boldly shot back.  
“You are not even worthy of the honor of _thinking_ about her,” growled Solvak, reaching out for the ex-marine’s face.  
 _OH HELL NO!_ McCoy growled in his head as Reaper tried futilely to escape.  
But there was nothing he could do to stop Solvak, at least, not physically. 


	11. Maia's Choice

_Unidentified computer lab, Olduvai II_  
Maia was almost finished setting up the manual self destruct when she happened to glance up at the security feed.  
“Shit,” she swore, seeing McCoy trapped in a mind meld with Solvak (at least, she assumed McCoy was Solvak’s victim, she couldn’t actually see who was trapped in the ceiling).  
Thinking fast, she primed the computer to transport McCoy out of the ceiling and to the _Enterprise_ before automatically activating the manual self-destruct, and all on her command. Then she grabbed the phaser McCoy had given her and raced out of the computer lab to McCoy’s rescue. Enhanced by the C-24, it didn’t take her long to reach them.

~*~

_Corridor, Olduvai II_  
Solvak was unaware of Maia’s presence, for which she was grateful. Taking careful aim, Maia fired twice at the Vulcan, once in the head and once in the heart. His concentration broken, Solvak found the meld dissolve apart against his will as he staggered away from the unconscious doctor still trapped in the ceiling. And not a moment too soon, as it turned out.  
As the Vulcan staggered back from McCoy, his fingers began to change as the C-24 began to take a greater hold over him.  
Maia didn’t notice this, however, as she was too busy saving the doctor to notice what was going on with Solvak.  
“Computer, activate program Sylar M One,” she ordered the computer one last time.  
 **”Working,”** acknowledged the computer, just moments before McCoy disappeared in the shimmer of the transporter beam.  
Solvak turned on Maia, furious at the loss of his prey.  
“You will pay for that, Maia,” he growled at her.  
“You will pay for killing my husband, Solvak,” Maia calmly replied.  
As Solvak lunged at her, the entire base was obliterated in a massive fireball. 


	12. Broken Promises

_Bridge, USS Enterprise_  
Kirk didn’t need Chekov’s agitated exclamation to know that Olduvai II no longer existed. He’d been able to see it for himself, with his own eyes, on the main screen.  
“I’ll be in my quarters,” Kirk glumly announced. “Spock, you have the conn.”  
As the captain left the Bridge, no one spoke, knowing how close Kirk and McCoy had been.

~*~

_Transporter Room, USS Enterprise_  
Lieutenant Riley jumped to attention as a form materialized on the transporter pad.  
“Transporter Room to Sickbay.”  
 **”Chapel here.”**  
“Nurse Chapel, we have a medical emergency in the Transporter Room,” Riley informed her.  
 **”What you’ve got?”** Chapel asked. In the background, Riley could hear M’Benga and another nurse hustle out of range, presumably for the Transporter Room.  
“It’s Doctor McCoy,” Riley replied. “He looks like he’s gone one too many rounds with an emotionally compromised Vulcan, then burned himself.”  
 **”Can you see any injuries, Lieutenant?”** Chapel asked. **”Is he even conscious?”**  
“There’s too much blood, I can’t tell,” Riley replied as M’Benga and a nurse entered the room. “M’Benga’s here.”  
“Nurse Chapel, prep OR One,” M’Benga ordered.  
 **”Understood. Chapel out.”**  
The nurse turned to M’Benga.  
“We can move him,” he informed the doctor.  
“Riley, can you help us by holding the stretcher steady?” M’Benga asked.  
Riley nodded and did as the doctor had asked him, keeping the stretcher steady as the nurse and M’Benga carefully lifted McCoy onto it.  
They had barely placed the doctor on the stretcher when McCoy began to seize violently, catching all three men off-guard.

~*~

_Sickbay, USS Enterprise_  
It seemed like an eternity before M’Benga and Nurse Schweppes arrived in Sickbay with Doctor McCoy, Lieutenant Riley close behind them. Chapel quickly directed another nurse to deal with Riley’s bloody nose as she took M’Benga’s place at the head of the stretcher. The blonde nurse wanted to dismiss her colleague, but she couldn’t handle the stretcher by herself. It wasn’t until after M’Benga dismissed Nurse Schweppes (the assistant Chief Medical Officer only needed one assistant in the operating room, and Chapel had insisted on being that one assistant) that anyone thought to inform the Bridge of McCoy’s current whereabouts.  
Not that anyone could really blame them for that, as Riley had failed to mention that he had not beamed the doctor aboard the _Enterprise_ and they were also unaware of the destruction of Olduvai II.  
“Riley to Bridge,” Lieutenant Riley said thickly, having to speak through a broken nose. The nurse Chapel had ordered to take care of the Irishman, Nurse Quinnzell, had yet to release him from Sickbay.  
 **”Spock here.”**  
“I just realized that I had neglected to inform the Bridge of something important, sir,” Riley admitted.  
 **”And that would be?”** the half-Vulcan queried.  
“Someone beamed Doctor McCoy onto the ship, sir.”  
 **”Alive?”**  
“Last I checked, yes,” Riley affirmed. “He has a wicked right hook, sir.” 


	13. Chapel's Secret

_Operating Room One, Sickbay, USS Enterprise_  
Once Chapel had cleaned all the dried and drying blood off McCoy’s skin and replaced his soiled clothes with clean scrubs, M’Benga discovered no physical injuries to account for the doctor’s current state of unconsciousness. In fact, he found no physical injuries at all.  
“Doctor M’Benga, what I am about to tell you, you can’t tell anyone else,” Chapel said. “Leonard is really a marine medic from 200 years ago.”  
“John Grimm?” M’Benga guessed, thinking of how agitated the doctor had become after they had been ordered to Olduvai II.  
Chapel nodded.  
“He’s my many great uncle,” she added aloud.  
“You’re related to Leonard?” M’Benga asked, not quite able to believe the head nurse.  
“I am,” Chapel affirmed.


	14. Grief and Worry

_Bridge, USS Enterprise_  
“Bridge to Kirk,” Spock said, trying to reach the captain. Getting no response, the half-Vulcan queried the computer as to Kirk’s current location.  
 **”Kirk, James Tiberius is in his quarters,”** the computer informed the first officer.  
“If ze Keptin is in his quarters, why is he ignoring Commander Spock?” Chekov wondered aloud in a low voice to Sulu.  
The pilot could only shrug, as he didn’t know either.  
“Sulu, you have the conn,” Spock ordered, standing up from the captain’s chair.  
“Aye, sir,” Sulu acknowledged.

~*~

_Captain's Quarters, USS Enterprise_  
Kirk had activated the lock on his door, not wanting to be disturbed as he mourned the loss of his closest friend—and the love of his life.  
 **”Bridge to Kirk.”**  
Kirk scowled, but ignored his first officer, hoping that the half-Vulcan would get the hint that he was emotionally compromised and not interested in dealing with the outside world right then.  
 _What about the C-24? Could that have allowed Bones to survive the blast?_ Kirk wondered to himself, but he shook his head as he remembered something the doctor had told him yesterday (had it really only been yesterday?), about how he had killed Gunnery Sergeant Mahonin with a “ST” grenade (whatever that was, it probably was nothing compared to Olduvai II’s self destruct). So much for that hope.

~*~

_Sickbay, USS Enterprise_  
“There’s a lot of psychic trauma, Doctor,” Chapel reported, showing M’Benga the results of the brain scan she’d just run on McCoy.  
“A forced mind meld,” M’Benga remarked. “That’s what caused all that damage, and that’s probably also why Leonard’s still unconscious.”  
“You can see he’s already started to heal,” Chapel observed, pointing out a spot on the scan.  
M’Benga nodded.  
“I suppose the C-24 is allowing him to heal faster?” he asked.  
Chapel nodded.  
“That’s how he’s still alive and so good looking,” she explained.  
“I want hourly scans run on his brain, tracking the progress of his recovery,” M’Benga informed Chapel. “And where is the captain? I thought he would be down here by now.”  
“Would you like me to send him to you when he does find his way down here, Doctor?” Chapel inquired.  
M’Benga shook his head.  
“No, I am sure that you can handle him, Nurse,” he said.

~*~

_Captain's Quarters, USS Enterprise_  
pock rang for entry, but he got no response, which concerned the half-Vulcan (it was most logical to feel—and admit to—such an emotion in the present situation). Briefly noting that Kirk had engaged the lock, Spock entered his override code and it wasn’t long before the doors quietly swished open for him, stepping cautiously into the captain’s quarters.  
“Captain?” he softly called into the darkened room as the doors closed behind him. “Computer, lights 15 percent.”  
The lights immediately came to life at his command.  
It didn’t take the first officer long to find Kirk, curled up into a ball on his bunk, weeping softly into his pillow.  
“Captain, Doctor McCoy is alive,” Spock announced.  
That got Kirk’s attention.  
“What? How!?” the captain demanded.  
“He was beamed on board the _Enterprise_ shortly before the explosion, presumably by Doctor Sylar,” Spock informed him.  
“Why didn’t whomever was on duty in the transporter room at the time say anything?”  
“Apparently Lieutenant Riley was more concerned with getting Doctor McCoy to Sickbay than with alerting the Bridge, sir,” the half-Vulcan replied.  
Kirk stood up.  
“Captain?” Spock asked.  
“I’m going down to Sickbay, Spock,” Kirk replied. “Is there a problem with that?”  
“You might want to wash your face first, sir,” Spock suggested. 


	15. The Waiting Game

_Sickbay, USS Enterprise_  
Chapel looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps.  
“Captain,” she said by way of greeting.  
“Nurse Chapel,” Kirk replied, coming to stand beside her at McCoy’s bed. “How is he?”  
“No physical damage, sir,” Chapel reported.  
“How come he is unconscious, then?” Kirk asked.  
“Psychic trauma, sir,” Chapel replied. “He was attacked telepathically as well as physically down there.”  
Chapel mentally winced, but Kirk did not notice it, as he was too concerned with McCoy to notice her slip.  
“Is there anything you can do?” Kirk asked.  
“All we can do is wait and pray that he is strong enough to heal himself,” Chapel admitted.


	16. Trust in Emotions

_Bridge, USS Enterprise; Two months later_  
 **”Chapel to Bridge.”**  
“Kirk here.”  
 **”Captain, you need to come down here,”** the nurse informed Kirk.  
“I’ll be right down,” Kirk replied. “Kirk out.”

~*~

_Sickbay, USS Enterprise_  
Chapel was waiting for Kirk in the main area of Sickbay.  
“I need to speak with you before you can see him,” the nurse informed Kirk, gesturing towards McCoy’s office.  
Kirk wordlessly followed the head nurse into his friend’s office, but as soon as the doors closed behind them, Kirk demanded to know what was going on.  
“Has Len told you who he really is?” Chapel asked.  
Kirk wasn’t sure how to react.  
“Don’t worry, Captain, I’m his several great-niece, I already know his real identity,” the nurse informed him. “What I don’t know is what Len has already told you about himself.”  
“Pike ordered him to tell Spock and me all about himself,” Kirk said once he had relocated his voice.  
“He clearly didn’t tell you about me,” Chapel observed.  
Kirk nodded.  
“He didn’t say much about what he did before he decided to join Starfleet.”  
“I’m not surprised, he’s seen a lot of terrible things happen over the years,” the nurse observed, “but your knowledge of his past does make things a whole lot easier.”  
“It does?” Kirk asked in surprise. “How?”  
“As Len’s brain continues to heal, he’s going to relive parts of his life at random,” Chapel explained. “He’ll need someone to calm him down, preferably without having to resort to sedatives.”  
“But Bones is stronger than me, thanks to the C-24,” objected Kirk. “If he becomes violent, I won’t be able to stop him.”  
“He won’t hurt you, Captain,” Chapel said confidently. “He loves you.”

~*~

_Private Recovery Room, Sickbay, USS Enterprise_  
John looked up as the blonde nurse (she’d said her name was Christine, but she looked _so_ much like Sam) returned. He scowled as he saw that Christine had brought someone with her, a blonde-haired man in a golden shirt.  
“John, this is James Kirk,” Christine introduced the stranger.  
“Call me Jim,” the blonde man insisted, offering a hand to John.  
Taking Jim’s hand in a firm grip, John shook it.  
“Captain, why don’t you take a seat and tell John all about yourself,” Christine suggested. “I need to go check on the other patients.”  
“Sure,” Jim said, and that was all the nurse needed to hear before leaving the two men alone together.  
Once the blonde had settled in the chair beside his biobed (the doctor in charge of his treatment, M’Benga, had told John all about biobeds), John asked, “Captain?”  
Jim nodded.  
“So you are an officer, then,” John stated.  
“I’m captain of the USS _Enterprise_ ,” Jim said with pride, “and you are my chief medical officer.”  
John scowled.  
“You must have me confused with someone else, sir,” he objected. “I’m a staff sergeant with the RRTS. I am a Marine, not a naval officer. Sir.”  
“You’re as much a marine as I am a naval officer, Bones,” Jim observed, earning a raised brow from John. “Well, nowadays, at any rate.”  
“Have I been discharged from the marines without my knowledge?” John asked.  
Jim opened his mouth to respond, but John couldn’t hear him anymore… 


	17. Remembering Tarsus

_Tarsus IV, 2246_  
“Doctor Middleton! Doctor Middleton!” a young voice was shouting in desperation.  
William Middleton looked up from the power generator he’d been working on.  
“James?” the scientist called, wondering why the young Kirk boy was shouting for him.  
“Doctor Middleton, help!” James cried out, racing up the dirt path to William’s house from the colony.  
“Come back here, you bastard!” bellowed the man chasing after James.  
William didn’t like the man’s scent at all. He leapt effortlessly over his fence and raced down the path towards James and his pursuer.  
“Get inside the house,” the scientist ordered the young boy, and James did not need to be told twice.  
“Be careful, Doctor Middleton,” James lingered long enough to call to the scientist. “He’s armed!”  
William ignored James (mostly because he was too busy wrestling the man James was running from to respond).  
James had just climbed over the fence when he heard phaser fire. He turned around in time to see William fall to the ground, presumably dead.  
“No!” James cried out. “Doctor Middleton!”  
The man who had been chasing James, a member of Governor Kodos’ security force, grinned up at the young boy.  
“It’s all your fault your scientist friend is dead, James Kirk,” the man growled.  
“No!” James cried out again. He couldn’t believe that William was dead, because he had once promised James that he wouldn’t die.  
“Stop lying to the kid,” growled a voice from behind the man.

~*~

_Private Recovery Room, Sickbay, USS Enterprise; Present Day_  
“You were William Middleton!?” exclaimed James, staring wide-eyed at his friend.  
John was panting hard, as if he had really just been shot in the chest by a phaser.  
“Apparently, I was indeed William Middleton,” John remarked softly. “How could I have forgotten that day?”  
“It wasn’t your choice, Bones,” James informed him. “You were attacked by a Vulcan two months ago.”  
“That nurse, Christine, she did mention that something along those lines had occurred,” John observed.  
“Is everything alright?” a dark-skinned man—M’Benga, John’s mind supplied—asked, sticking his head into the room.  
“We’re fine, Doctor,” James informed M’Benga. “Bones just remembered a past life.”

~*~

_Captain’s Quarters, USS_ Enterprise  
That evening, John was released from Sickbay and into James’ care.  
“You should take the bed,” James insisted. “I can sleep on the couch.”  
“There’s enough room for both of us,” John pointed out, before immediately wondering why the hell he’d said that.  


~*~

_Tarsus IV, 2246_  
James snuggled closer to William. It was only going to get colder from now on, and not only at night. But the scientist was not willing to risk discovery by building a fire, not yet. Maybe if he managed to bring down a deer, he could skin it—they did have deer on Tarsus IV, right?  
William made a mental note to himself to ask James about the local flora and fauna in the morning.  
SNAP!  
William tensed, waking James. Wrapping the survival blanket quietly (and quickly) around James, William gently pushed the kid towards the rear of the cave.  
The young boy didn’t want to leave William behind to face the unknown threat alone, but he knew that he would only get in the scientist’s way if he stayed.  
“Come on, Angie, hurry!” a voice called out, a young boy’s voice.  
James recognized the voice.  
“Riley?” he called out, earning a scowl from William.  
“James?” Riley answered, surprised. “Aren’t you supposed to be dead?”  
“Doctor Middleton saved me,” James explained.  
“Kodos’ men are coming, Riley,” Angie reminded her cousin.  
William couldn’t leave the two children to whatever fate Kodos’ men had planned for them. It just wasn’t in his nature.  
“James, take Riley and Angie to the other end of the cave and wait for me there,” he ordered the young blonde. “Stay out of sight and be quiet.”  
“What about you, Doctor Middleton?” Riley asked.  
“I’m going to give Kodos’ men something else to worry about,” William explained, “now git!”

~*~

_Captain’s Quarters, USS Enterprise; Present Day_  
John woke with a start at the sound of an alarm.  
“Sorry,” James apologized, “I thought I had dismissed it.”  
“Am I to be left alone in your quarters?” John asked.  
James shook his head.  
“Chapel’s going to escort you back to Sickbay while I’m on duty on the Bridge,” the captain informed him.  
“Chapel?” John asked.  
“Your great niece,” James explained unhelpfully.  
John opened his mouth to growl at James, when he had another flashback. 


	18. Admissions

_New Orleans, Louisiana, Earth; 2237_  
“She looks exactly like Sam, Patterson,” John observed.  
Lauren, Patterson’s wife, snorted.  
“Great Uncle John, Sam was your twin sister,” she reminded him. “I highly doubt you can remember what she looked like at this age.”  
“My parents took pictures, Lauren,” John retorted. “I may be old, but I’m not _that_ old.”  
Lauren just growled something crude under her breath, too low for any human to hear. Any _normal_ human, at least.  
“You know that is anatomically impossible, right?” John cheekily asked.  
“Patterson, please take Christine away from your great uncle so I can murder him,” Lauren all but ordered her husband, her grim words belied by the cheerful smirk on her face.  
“You heard what the doctor said, Lauren,” Patterson reminded his wife. “No rough housing until the stitches are out.”  
“You doctors are all the same,” Lauren groused at Patterson and John. “You aren’t getting any, so you take it out on your innocent patients.”

~*~

_Captain’s quarters, USS Enterprise; Present Day_  
“Chris,” breathed John, remembering how he had watched his many great niece, the head nurse of the _Enterprise_ , grow up into the sassy young woman walking into the room as he spoke.  
“Len?” Chapel reflexively asked. “Are you alright?”  
“I’m fine, Chris,” John—no, he was Leonard Horatio McCoy now, not John Grimm, not William Middleton, not anyone else he had ever been— _McCoy_ replied. “What about Doctor Sylar?”  
“She died, Bones,” Kirk informed his friend. “She sacrificed her life to ensure that you made it back home in one piece and that Olduvai II was destroyed.”  
“So Olduvai II is completely destroyed?” McCoy asked.  
“Yes,” Chapel said, even as Kirk said, “Yeah, Bones, it’s completely destroyed.”  
The captain frowned at the head nurse.  
“I _am_ his great niece, sir,” she reminded Kirk. “I know almost as well as the doctor just how dangerous C-24 is, especially if it ends up in the wrong hands again.”  
“Again?” Kirk asked.  
“UAC, the company that started this whole mess,” McCoy explained. “They would have used C-24 to create a whole army of super soldiers.”  
“Oh, yeah, them,” Kirk said. “Does this mean that you’re completely back to normal?”  
“Depends on what you mean by normal,” groused McCoy.  
“Doctor M’Benga will probably want to run a few tests, just to make sure, but it does appear that Len is completely back to what is considered normal for him,” Chapel added.  
“Bones, I want to talk with you in private once M’Benga has given you a clean bill of health,” Kirk informed his friend. “Now I need to head out or I’ll be late.”

~*~

_Bridge, USS Enterprise_  
An hour into alpha shift, McCoy showed up on the Bridge.  
“You wanted to speak with me, Jim?” he asked.  
“Yeah,” Kirk affirmed before standing up and turning to face his first officer. “Spock, you have the conn.”  
“Yes, sir,” acknowledged Spock.

~*~

_Main conference room, USS Enterprise_  
As soon as the doors closed behind him, McCoy demanded, “What is this all about, Jim?”  
“I thought I was your friend, Bones,” Kirk growled. “You lied to me about who you were. For all I know, Jocelyn McCoy isn’t a real person!”  
McCoy winced.  
“I only lied when I had to, Jim,” he admitted in a low voice.  
“Had to?” Kirk challenged.  
“I thought about telling you the truth our second year, but I didn’t want to bring back memories of Tarsus IV and Kodos. I knew how bad it was for you, surviving on Tarsus IV before help came.”  
“Did you fake that infection just to maintain your false identity?” Kirk wondered.  
McCoy shook his head.  
“Believe me, Jim, that infection was the last thing I wanted to have happen,” he informed his friend.  
“So you can get sick?” Kirk asked, his curiosity getting the better of him (and his anger).  
“Does this mean that I’m forgiven for lying to you?” the doctor asked.  
“I’ve already forgiven you, Bones,” Kirk admitted. “Now answer my question already.”

~*~

_Bridge, USS Enterprise; Four Months Later_  
“Captain, message from Starfleet Command,” Uhura announced.  
“Onscreen,” Kirk ordered.  
Uhura shook her head.  
“It’s for your eyes only, sir,” she informed him.  
Kirk nodded.  
“Reroute it to my quarters, Lieutenant,” Kirk ordered. “Spock, you have the conn.”

~*~

_Captain’s Quarters, USS Enterprise_  
 **”Jim, there is something important that I must share with you, something that concerns Doctor McCoy,”** Spock (or as Jim liked to refer to him, 'Old Spock') said. **”Admiral Pike was kind enough to allow me access to his office in order to record this message, and I also trust him to get this message sent to you.”**  
A pause, then the old Vulcan continued speaking.  
 **”In my timeline, Doctor McCoy nearly died of a disease called xenopolycythemia, but for a fortunate encounter with a race of beings known as the Fabrini. While it is possible that in this timeline, McCoy does not fall ill, it is much more likely that it will occur at an earlier point in time if he does fall ill.”**


End file.
